Democratic ethics strategy, Republican campaign funding

ON THE HILL WITH DOUG CHRISTIAN

WASHINGTON – Today House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) announces a reform package for Democrats to govern on if they take the majority in November. He will announce his plan at the Columbus Club at Union Station in a speech titled “Returning to a Government Of, By, and For the People.”

His expected plan addresses campaign finance reform, voting rights reform and ethics reform, along with new rules for how Congress works.

Practically speaking, this proposed reform package will likely go nowhere in the Senate if the Republicans maintain control of the Upper Chamber, but the package would change how the Lower Chamber runs.

Although polls suggest the House will most likely turn Democratic, the fight for control of the Senate appears more uncertain.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is fighting for his political survival in a razor-tight race with his Democratic Senate challenger, Rep. Beto O’Rourke.

In that spirit, the GOP super PAC, the Senate Leadership Fund, is buying $1.8 million in ads against Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), another $1.4 million against Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) in Indiana, $1.1 million against Phil Bredesen seeking to take Sen. Bob Corker’s Senate seat in Tennessee, $1 million to support Dean Heller (R-Nev.) in Nevada and another $668,078 against Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.).